


Bright And Bright

by YukiSetsu



Series: 12 Days of (Lance) Whumpmas [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, If You Squint - Freeform, Langst, i guess, in a dark room, let my boy sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 16:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13194153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSetsu/pseuds/YukiSetsu
Summary: A migraine hits Lance at a bad time, and threatens to ruin a new alliance if he doesn't face due punishment. Unfortunately, in his current state, mere isolation is enough to hurt Lance in more ways than one.





	Bright And Bright

**Author's Note:**

> pour one out for my sleep/posting schedule, they’re both a mess :) :)

Lance felt the headache coming before it hit him. It had been creeping up for the past two days, the irritation and exhaustion prodding at him until he woke up that morning, a slight pressure building up in his head. It was small and nagging, and Lance didn't doubt it would get worse sooner or later. Which was terrible timing, given that the team was heading down to planet Esyxia for an alliance celebration once everyone was ready. He sat up in bed, blowing out a sigh. This was already feeling like a long day.

By the time he'd gotten into his armor and made his way to the bridge, the others were already waiting on him. Allura gave him a slight look for his tardiness, which Lance pointedly ignored. She turned back towards the group once Lance found a spot next to Hunk, explaining their plan for the day. Esyxia had planned grand festivities to celebrate Voltron, and all they needed to do was enjoy themselves. Be polite, engage in conversation, respect their culture, blah blah blah. Lance felt a slight throb in his head, as if it was reminding him it was still there. He sighed again, slumping his head lightly on Hunk's shoulder.

Hunk reached up and ruffled Lance's hair once Allura turned around to focus on landing the Castle. Lance usually loved the gesture, but today, it only irritated his headache, and he grumbled.

“What's up? You usually love this kind of stuff.” Hunk said, voice light. “Big parties, being the center of attention, all that jazz.”

“Head hurts.” Lance groaned, running a tired hand across his face. “Really not in the mood today.”

Pidge snorted. “Is this your first time getting a headache or something? You're lucky.”

Lance straightened up, a scowl on his face. “It's not _just_ a headache! This one's gonna be annoying, I can feel it in my bones.”

The Castle rumbled as it touched upon the planet. Allura glanced over her shoulder at Lance. “I'm sorry your head is hurting, Lance, but please do not let it affect you once we meet the Esyxians. We must show proper courtesy befitting the Paladins of Voltron.”

“I hate to say it, but Allura's right.” Shiro said, an apologetic smile on his face. “You can rest afterwards, but try to work through it for now, okay?”

“It's just a headache,” Keith mumbled, although he clearly said it loud enough for Lance to hear.

Lance bristled, but he ignored the jab. His mood was bad enough already, and he knew getting into a fight with Keith right now would only ruin the entire team's atmosphere. So he just nodded, ignoring the steady pounding that pressed behind his eyes.

It didn't help that the Esyxians seemed to literally glow. They probably didn't, but they had this sort of radiance about them that drew anyone's attention. All of them donned bright clothing, garbs and dresses that sparkled with even the slightest movement. Even their _skin_ was a pale yellow, smooth and gleaming with silver-white hair like the moon. They were stunning, Lance already knew. But his headache throbbed whenever he stared too long, and he could only manage a few seconds of eye contact at a time before turning his gaze to the floor.

They gathered in a large sort of dining hall, and Lance welcomed the muted brown of the walls with a relieved sigh. Excited chatter spread through the room at the sight of the Paladins, and Lance forced a smile as he passed by a few, waving for good measure. One figure stood alone near the front, her smile radiant and dress shimmering. Lance recognized her as the one who initially contacted the Castle and invited them down for a celebration. She'd introduced herself as Luz back then.

“Fellow Esyxians,” Luz began. “We gather today in honor of a great partnership. The Paladins of Voltron and the Princess of Altea have arrived at our invitation.” She glanced over at the group, nodding her head slightly. “May they accept this as a token of our gratitude.”

Lux stepped forward, reaching for an orb at the nearest table. It glowed the second her hand made contact with it, and with a small whisper, it floated up towards the ceiling, exploding in a beautiful shower of sparkles before it hit the top. More murmuring filled the room, and Lance glanced around to see every other Esxyian had their own orb, all of them floating towards the ceiling at various speeds. And in the next moment, it was like the room had become a mini fireworks show, except the sparks weren't a fire hazard.

It was beautiful, it really was. Lance tried his best to focus on the sight, but the collective explosions combined into a resounding boom that left his ears ringing and it was just _too bright_. His headache flared up angrily, painful stabs in his head that made him want to curl up on the ground. White spots danced in his vision, and he was pretty sure those weren't from the fireworks.

Lance groaned, doubling over as one hand gripped his head. It was almost unbearable at this point. Someone grabbed at his shoulders, trying to straighten him back up. He didn't have the strength to resist, squinting his eyes open to catch Hunk staring at him.

“Lance? What's wrong?” Hunk's voice was worried, but it was also pretty loud. The happy chatter in the room died down at Hunk's question, and Lance could practically feel every eye in the room turn in his direction. Even the sporadic explosions stopped, and Lance was grateful for the lull in noise.

Lance ducked his head, hand still pressed against his temple. He was trying—badly—to knead away the growing pressure, but it only seemed to worsen instead. “Sorry, can I... step outside for a bit?”

“Are you feeling sick?” Hunk pressed.

“A little,” Lance mumbled, shutting his eyes again. “Head hurts really bad. I don't like the lights.”

An audible gasp ripped through the crowd, and Lance stiffened at the noise. The horror was almost palpable, even if Lance wasn't looking.

“You... You dare insult our light ceremony?” It was Luz's voice, no longer holding the cordial tone she had before.

Lance forced his eyes back open as he looked towards where he knew Luz stood, scrambling to explain himself. Allura, however, beat him to the punch.

“I deeply apologize, he means no malice,” Allura spoke, equal parts caution and respect. “Our Blue Paladin is unfortunately not feeling well and—”

“That is no excuse,” Luz hissed. Her face was contorted, angry. Lance flinched, looking away from the heated glare. His head throbbed, oblivious to the situation. “Our light ceremony is sacred. Wishing to leave in the middle of it desecrating to our tribute.” A slight pause. “Put the Blue Paladin in isolation until the festivities are over. He will not partake in this joyous event.”

Hunk's hands tightened on Lance's shoulders just as he whipped his head back up, so quick it had his vision wavering. He spotted the crowd starting to part just towards his left, the path easily leading towards him. Panic temporarily overrode the pounding headache, and he glanced over at Luz once more.

“Wait, I—I'm sorry, I'll stay. I didn't mean to...”

Luz's response of cold, unyielding. “You will go in isolation or this alliance will end before it has even begun. Be grateful it is mere isolation and not a physical punishment for your insolence.”

The silence was heavy, and Lance couldn't find the words to argue. The lack of response from the rest of his team was just as telling. Of course they wouldn't sacrifice an alliance just because Lance had a headache. He expected it, but Lance still felt his chest tighten with panic when an arm grabbed at his, unceremoniously dragging him off.

Hunk's hands fell away easily, although he looked pained to do so. The others stood behind him, similar looks of discomfort and worry in their expressions. But no one made a move to stop him from getting taken past the doors. That itself hurt more than his headache did.

Lance could barely get his thoughts together again before he felt the hand shove him into another room. He stumbled forward onto his knees as he heard a door slide shut behind him. He tried to take a look around, but the resulting pain in his head had him shutting his eyes with a groan.

The room was completely white. So white it was blinding. He didn't get a good look, but he was pretty sure there wasn't a single dirty speck anywhere. It was the worst kind of room he could be in right now. He bent over, ripping off his helmet and trying to shield his eyes against his arms on the ground. It was better, but his headache was already way worse. It was almost like his head was ready to split open, and he bit back a moan.

He wished he could control his helmet visor and activate it to blackout his vision again, like they'd done once for Lion bonding. He just wanted it darker. His head swam, and Lance forced the nausea crawling up his throat back down. He was so close to throwing up.

It was like his head was condensing and getting hammered at the same time. Lance felt exhausted, and he fell onto his side, curling up as he shut his eyes tight. Even behind his eyelids, he could feel the brightness filling his vision, insistent and painful. He brought a slow hand up, resting it weakly against his eyes in a slight attempt at filtering some of the light out.

How long had it been? Surely not long. How long would the celebration last? Lance didn't doubt it wouldn't be over anytime soon. His stomach clenched anxiously at the thought, and he brought his other hand up against his stomach in a weak attempt to calm it. His mind unhelpfully chose to remember the expressions on everyone's faces back in the hall. He'd been so stupid. Keith was right, he should be able to handle a headache. He almost ruined a new alliance because of this.

His head throbbed in a cruel rhythm, as if something massive was trying to force itself out of his skull. He choked out a sob, feeling tears slide down his face and onto his floor from behind his hand. God, it would be embarrassing if they walked in on him crying.

Time passed by, and his headache was still relentless. He didn't dare try to move, too afraid at the possible onslaught of light should he shift his hand. He wished he could fall asleep, but the constant throbbing in his head made it impossible. So he just lay there on his side, miserable and drained.

Even more time passed, and Lance gave up on trying to feel better. He was just tired, and he wanted to sleep. Each new thrum of pain sent another wave of nausea in his stomach, and he it took all of his energy to keep it down. He deserved this. Allura and Shiro had even asked him to try his best until the ceremony ended, and he couldn't even do that much.

All of a sudden, he heard a door slide open before footsteps stormed inside. Lance flinched at the sudden noise, trying to curl up closer inside himself. Whoever entered had other plans, and hands scrambled to get Lance into a sitting position. Lance felt his hand fall away from his eyes, and he whimpered, instantly turning to bury his head against the person holding him up. He felt the familiar cold material of the Paladin armor dig painfully against his face, but he didn't care. The celebration must have ended, Lance thought distantly.

“Lance? Talk to me, buddy. Can you hear me?” Shiro's voice rumbled close to Lance's ear, and he stiffened, the guilt rising up like a fresh scar.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Lance babbled, voice trembling. “Was my fault, I'm sorry.”

“Lance...” Shiro suddenly sounded really sad, and Lance's chest tightened in panic. Had he said something wrong again? “Don't—don't apologize. I should be doing that. How's your head?”

Lance went rigid, breaths ragged. He was too afraid to speak. Too afraid to be honest. What if the Esyxians punished him again? The terror only intensified the throbbing against his forehead. He wanted to say he was fine and get it over with, but the words died in his throat. It felt too dry.

Shiro sucked in a breath, and Lance felt him move just slightly before he heard the door close again. Or did it open? Another hand was suddenly in his hair, gently carding through the sweaty locks. “You can tell me, Lance. It's just me and Hunk here. The others are outside. You won't get in trouble this time.”

How Shiro knew what Lance was thinking was beyond his comprehension. He choked out another sob, feeling more tears slip past his closed eyelids. “It hurts. Really bad. It's too bright, I'm sorry. I can't—”

“Hey, hey.” Hunk spoke, soft and sad. Lance couldn't understand why everyone sounded sad. They should be angry. “This isn't your fault. We shouldn't have ignored you when you said your head was hurting and we _definitely_ shouldn't have let you get taken away like that. This is completely on us.”

“N—no,” Lance tried to squirm away from the hand in his hair, but he was too tired and couldn't quite make it. “It's just a headache, I should be able to... I don't know why...”

“It looks more like a migraine, dude.” Hunk said. “And those suck. Really bad. I wouldn't be able to handle that light show with a migraine, either.”

Lance's head squeezed painfully at the mention of the light show, and he shuddered. “I'm sorry.”

Hunk let out an unhappy noise before Shiro whispered, “Let's get him back to the Castle first, this room isn't helping him get better.” Lance felt Shiro shift his grip before speaking again, this time a bit louder. “Lance, we're gonna need you to put your helmet back on. You can keep your eyes closed, okay? We'll be out of here in no time.”

Lance nodded weakly, lifting his head away from Shiro's chest enough for Hunk to carefully slide the helmet back on. His head jostled at the movement, he felt his vision swim behind his eyelids. But when Shiro move to lift Lance, he pushed back, albeit weakly.

“I'll walk.” Lance mumbled, trying to peek his eyes open slightly. The bright white prodded at his headache, and he held back a groan. He pushed himself onto his feet, swaying a bit until Shiro steadied him by the arm. No way in hell was he going to embarrass Voltron anymore by getting carried back to the Castle over a headache. Migraine. Whatever.

“Lance,” Shiro started, reluctant. “Are you sure you—”

“I can walk.” Lance cut in, firm. “It's not like the headache broke my legs or anything.”

“...Alright.”

Shiro still kept an arm on Lance, probably just in case. Lance didn't fight it, glad that his legs were at least working. He heard the door slide open as he stepped back out, thankful the headache lessened even just a bit the second they left the isolation room. The first thing he saw in the hallway was Allura's worried glance, which wasn't helping his guilty conscience at all. Pidge and Keith didn't look any less concerned, eyeing him and then looking towards Hunk, as if expecting an explanation.

“Sorry for missing the festivities, Princess. Won't happen again.” Lance said, voice coming out weaker than he'd intended.

Allura started to shake her head, glancing over at Shiro before looking back at him. “Let's head back to the Castle, first. We can discuss everything later.”

It was a long and quiet trek back to the Castle. They didn't encounter any Esyxians on the way back, and Lance wasn't complaining. He just focused on walking and withstanding the painful pulses in his head. It was a relief once he felt himself back within the Castle. Most of the tension left his body and he slumped over, feeling Shiro's arm tighten on his in alarm.

“I'm fine.” Lance started before anyone could ask. “I just... Could I go to my room for a bit? I'll hear the lectures later. Please.”

A conflicted expression ran across Allura's face. “I... Of course, you should get some rest. We will debrief once you're recovered.”

Lance nodded, relieved. He started to leave, insisting that he could make it back to his room on his own. Coran, who'd come to meet them on the bridge, seemed to notice something was off, but he didn't say anything. Shiro or Hunk would probably explain, anyways. Lance left before anyone could stop him again.

He reached his room and shut the lights off the moment he stepped inside, sighing at the darkness that filled his vision. Way better from the bright colors he'd been dealing with all day. He shed his armor off, shakily changing into his pajamas before he slid into bed. His head melted against the pillow, soft and cushioning. The pounding in his headache slowly turned into dull throbs, and although it took a bit longer than he wanted, Lance drifted off into an unsteady slumber.

 

* * *

 

Lance jerked awake when he felt something cold press against his forehead, eyes blinking open in surprise. His vision took a second to adapt to the dark, but he made out Pidge crouched by his bed, jumping when he caught her gaze.

“Sorry,” Pidge whispered. “Didn't mean to wake you.”

“What're you doin'?” Lance mumbled, the cool sensation on his head actually feeling quite nice.

“Something cold for the headache.” Pidge said, adjusting the cloth carefully. “It should help.”

She was right, though. Definitely helped his headache. He sighed, relaxing under the blankets again. That is, until he spotted something by his door.

“Uh, am I hallucinating or is Keith also here?”

Pidge straightened up and glanced over. “Nah, he's here. He wanted to say something, so I'll leave now.” She looked back towards Lance, her expression too difficult to see in the dark. “Feel better, Lance. Sorry for not doing anything to help back then.” She marched out of the room before Lance could get a reply out.

There was a brief silence in the room before Lance saw Keith slowly make his way over, his movements almost nervous. Yet even when he reached the bedside, he didn't speak.

Lance cleared his throat after a few seconds, feeling awkward. “If you're here to rub it in, can I take a rain check? Kind of really tired at the moment.”

“What? No,” Keith stammered. “I just... wanted to apologize.”

For a moment, Lance wasn't sure he heard right. He probably didn't. “Um... What?”

“For saying it was just a headache. I didn't know it was that bad, but I shouldn't have said it either way. All of us were upset when that Esyxian ordered you in isolation. Allura even asked to end the celebration early because she was worried.” Keith huffed in irritation. “I know they won't apologize for it, but you didn't deserve that.”

Lance's brain struggled to process what he heard, mind too muddled to think properly. “It _was_ just a headache, though.”

“It was a _migraine_ , according to Hunk.” Keith countered, arms crossed. “Those are worse. And the fact that you were in that kind of room too...”

Lance shifted uncomfortably. “Don't know why you're apologizing, dude. It was my fault.”

Keith snorted. “For what, getting a migraine? You didn't ask for it.”

“I know, but still...”

“You're not winning this one, so just accept the apology. You're gonna get plenty more from the others during the debriefing.”

Lance groaned, his headache buzzing uneasily at the thought. “Ugh, great.”

There was a short silence before Keith spoke again, a bit quieter. “Do you feel a bit better, at least?”

Hearing Keith sound concerned for his health felt odd, but Lance didn't dislike it. “Um, yeah. Better than before. I'll probably be good by tomorrow.”

“Are you thirsty?” Keith didn't let Lance answer, already reaching for the water pouch Lance didn't know was lying near the bed. “Here, drink some water and then go to sleep.”

Lance actually was thirsty, and he slid himself upright with a grunt. The cloth fell onto his lap, but Keith grabbed it and handed Lance the pouch in exchange. He took a few long gulps, enjoying the refreshing sensation through his body before slumping back against the pillow, exhaustion settling back in. He felt the cloth on his forehead again, and his eyes fluttered shut.

“Night, Lance.” Keith said quietly.

“Night...” Lance mumbled.

Sleep came easier this time around.

 


End file.
